Children as Actors for Transforming Society (CATS)

After two successful years in 2013 and 2014, CATS is coming back this year! For six days this summer, children, young people and adults will gather at the Caux Palace, in the mountains of Switzerland overlooking Montreux and Lake Geneva, to discuss children’s right to participate and the importance of listening to children’s views.

CATS is hosted by Initiatives of Change, in partnership with Child to Child, Eurochild and the Universal Education Foundation.

Subsequent conferences are scheduled to take place until 2017, and potentially beyond.

What’s special about CATS?

CATS provides a varied, creative, inclusive and fun programme co-designed and co-led by children and adults.

CATS offers a unique, ethical and meaningful space for adults and children to come together and live in mutual respect to better understand the contribution that each can make to transforming society. Participants can deepen their knowledge of children’s participation and question attitudes and beliefs about what children are capable of achieving. CATS strives to promote and practice meaningful participation which is transparent, informative, voluntary and child-friendly.

The conference offers cutting edge insights into the theories and practices of children’s participation. It is an international conference series which each year hosts attendees from all around the world.

The Programme

Through the CATS 2015 theme, Children & Adults, Partners for Change, collaboration and partnership between adults and children will be addressed in a variety of ways throughout the week. Each day of the programme will focus on different levels of building the partnership: the individual, the group, the community, organisations, and society.

As the week develops, the programme will take participants through the building process starting with drawing the blueprint together, establishing the foundation, building the walls and roof, and lastly looking further out into the community.

Photo: Federico Lanzo/Eurochild

The programme will include Together Times; Capacity building workshops; Talent Evening; Discovery Times; Children’s Workshops; Film Festival, and a lot more!